BLM resource specialists assessed and inventoried public lands in the Gunnison Field Office to determine whether any possess wilderness characteristics. The assessment was conducted in compliance with BLM responsibilities under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and in accordance with BLM Manual 6310 - Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on BLM Lands.

All lands in the Gunnison Field Office were inventoried for potential wilderness characteristics.Surface lands not meeting the size criteria were dismissed from further review based on inventoried size. These lands may be subject to further inventory if the BLM receives additional information meeting criteria for a new wilderness characteristics inventory.

The assessment included public lands outside of designated wilderness areas and wilderness study areas. The BLM reviewed original 1980 wilderness inventories, as well as lands identified through GIS analysis that had not been inventoried in the past, in order to identify lands with potential wilderness characteristics.

Thirty-four (34) areas were identified for inventory through the review; 27 of those were found to possess wilderness characteristics. The inventoried areas included approximately 104,180 acres of public land.

The LWC Inventory Process and Summary provides a description of wilderness characteristics, BLM guidance related to LWC inventories and subsequent land use planning, and a summary of the Gunnison Field Office's 2013 LWC Inventory.